This invention relates generally to building panels and is particularly directed to the sealed coupling of abutting, interlocking building panels.
Modular panels arranged in abutting relationship to form the walls and roof of a building have been used for years in the construction of prefabricated structures. These modular panels are also increasingly being used for house additions and have become commonly known as roof deck panels, stress-skin panels, curtain wall panels, or sandwich panels. These panels should ideally be inexpensive, of simple design requiring minimal coupling/mounting hardware, and easily produced and installed. Moreover, such panels should be aesthetically pleasing by minimizing the visibility of inter-panel seam lines and hiding the aforementioned mounting/coupling hardware from view. The seal between adjacent interlocking panels should be easily assembled, highly reliable and resistant to the elements, and inconspicuous. Finally, the panels should be usable in both wall and roof construction and should be easily mounted to a supported structure and securely attached to one another.
The present invention affords the aforementioned advantages in an interconnecting panel having a pair of watertight seals on each end thereof when placed in edge-to-edge abutting contact with another similar panel. The panel is comprised of inner and outer faces, preferably of sheet metal, which faces are identical in size and configuration for reduced cost, with an intermediate insulating core disposed between the two faces. Adjacent edges of interconnecting panels are in closely spaced relation, with the interlocking seals and a rain gutter disposed internal to the panels and out of sight.